MLK Day: Exchange Exemplars on living while brown in America

Today is the day America observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. And we step aside for the day, eschewing a live broadcast in favor of a pair of interviews from the past, relevant to the day.

At 8: Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business. Journalist and teacher Pamela Newkirk's book covers the rise of positions and departments designed to increase diversity in American workplaces. Despite their efforts, the numbers of people of color hired are still generally below their numbers in the general population.

At 9: Think Black: A Memoir. Clyde Ford followed his father's path to IBM, where John Stanley Ford was the first black software engineer. He got treated about as well as Jackie Robinson in Major League Baseball. Clyde's journey differed quite a bit; his book details navigating life in America with brown skin.